You have questions we’ ve got answers
too many“ Churches” where my heart sank within me because I felt like I was among cold strangers, certainly not brothers. I felt rather like an alien among a strange people. How I long to find my Father’ s other children, I know they are out there somewhere. So, here is the question, where can we find true Christians today? Is the real
Church gone underground as it was in Jesus’ time?
I trust that the listings of articles in this issue will help re-establish our identity as God’ s family and to recognise our intrinsic value to the whole. That we may recognise that we are not individual organisations or denominations but one family. May your reading of this issue re-invigorate your desire to find your place in Jesus’ family, to identify your purpose and go on to pursue it with passion.
I remain in Jesus’ Service. Love as always Angela Slack
Editor and Co-founder
Q & A
You have questions we’ ve got answers
This issue’ s question taken from GotQuestions. org: Accessed August 27, 2016.
http:// www. gotquestions. org / Bible-mythology. html
Question: How do I know the Bible is not just mythology?
Answer: That the Bible originated in the mind of God makes it not only unique among all books, it is unique among all the treasures on earth. President Abraham Lincoln appropriately referred to the Bible as“ the best gift God has given to man.” Indeed it is. It reveals God’ s eternal plan of redeeming the fallen human race. Yet even though billions of copies of it have been distributed throughout the world, many continue to question its truth. Is the Bible a book of mythology, or is it the true, inspired Word of God? This question is of the greatest importance to every person, whether they know it or not.
Many religious texts claim to convey a divine message. The Bible, however, stands alone in that God left absolutely no room for doubt as to whether or not this is His written Word. If anyone undertakes an honest effort to examine the facts, he will find the Bible most assuredly has God’ s signature all through it. The very same mouth that spoke all of creation into existence also gave us the Bible.
Unlike mythology, the Bible has a historical framework. Its characters are real people living in verifiable locations during historical events. The Bible mentions Nebuchadnezzar, Sennacherib, Cyrus, Herod, Felix, Pilate, and many other historical figures. Its history coincides with that of many nations, including the Egyptian, Hittite, Persian, Babylonian and Roman empires. The events of the Bible take place in geographical areas such as Canaan, Syria, Egypt, Mesopotamia and others. All this certifiable detail refutes the idea that the Bible is mere mythology.
Unlike mythology, the Bible has many confirmations in sciences such as biology, geology, astronomy, and archaeology. The field of biblical archaeology has absolutely exploded in the last century and a half, during which time hundreds of thousands of artefacts have been discovered. Just one example: at one time, skeptics used the Bible’ s references to the Hittite civilization as“ proof” that the Bible was a myth. There was never any such people as the“ Hittites,” according to the science of the day. However, in 1876, the first of a series of discoveries was made, and now the existence of the ancient Hittite civilization is well documented. Archaeology continues to bolster the Bible’ s historicity. As Dr. Henry M. Morris has remarked,“ There exists today not one unquestionable find of archaeology that proves the Bible to be in error at any point.”
Unlike mythology, the Bible is written as history. Luke wrote his Gospel as“ an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us... just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses.” Luke claims that he had“ carefully investigated everything from the beginning” and so wrote“ an orderly account... so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught”( see Luke 1:1-4). Did Luke include miracles in his account? Yes, many of them. But they were miracles verified by eyewitnesses. Two thousand years later, a skeptic might call Luke’ s account a“ myth,” but the burden of proof rests with the skeptic. The account itself is a carefully investigated historical document.
Unlike mythology, the Bible contains an astounding number of fulfilled prophecies. Myths do not bother with prophecy, but fully one third of the Bible is prophecy. The Bible contains over 1,800 predictions concerning more than
continued on page 30
January- March 2017 SHARE | MAGAZINE | 5